Stems sometimes proximally woody. Leaves mostly basal; blades either linear to lanceolate and not lobed, 10-20(-38) cm × 6-10 mm, or oblanceolate to oblong and pinnately lobed, 10-20 cm × 25-50 mm, or both; bases usually attenuate, margins usually entire, sometimes ± prickly, revolute, midveins prominent, abaxial faces white-villous, adaxial faces glabrate to arachnose. Heads 3.5-8 cm diam. (across rays). Peduncles scapiform, (6-)10-30(-35) cm. Phyllaries: outer lanceolate, margins prickly-ciliate; the inner with margins undulate, ciliate, with ± submarginal dark stripe, cuspidate. Ray florets 13-18; corolla laminae yellow or orange, usually each with dark abaxial stripe and adaxial basal blotch or spot, (20-)35-42 × 10 mm. Cypselae 1-2 mm; pappi of 7-8 scales 3-4 mm.

Flowering Oct-Jul. Roadsides, waste places, especially in urban coastal areas; 0-400(-900) m; introduced; Calif., N.Mex.; Africa.